"If that's the case, then I'll have to trouble you to negotiate with the main god. By the way, you can also exchange for some things you can use," Lin Yan seemed to recall something. "You must also have some things you want, right?"
"Host~" The system was deeply moved. The panda-shaped system shed tears and rolled around in Lin Yan's sea of consciousness.
It truly didn't expect Lin Yan to consider its feelings. Although its host didn't need anything, it was still unexpected that Lin Yan would give it the bargaining chips for negotiations.
"Alright, think carefully about how to negotiate with the main god. Don't disturb me now."
"Yes, Host." It knew it was being a third wheel, so it didn't say anything else to distract its host. Although its host said it didn't need anything, it could still exchange for some things for its host, as a farewell gift.
Zi Che Shao Hao could feel Lin Yan's distraction, so he turned his gaze towards Lin Yan. He saw Lin Yan looking towards the night sky, lost in thought.
He knew Lin Yan had secrets, but he had no intention of probing them. He trusted that Lin Yan, if she chose to tell him, would not hide anything.
The Zhang family in Yuyang.
"The Great Elder's soul lamp has been extinguished."
This news caused the entire Zhang family's high-ranking members to gather in the ancestral hall. They all stared at the soul lamp in the most prominent position within the ancestral hall, which had completely gone out, not even a spark remaining.
Not only the Great Elder, but the soul lamps of those who had accompanied him were also extinguished, without a single exception.
This caused immense panic among the Zhang family's high-ranking members. They knew what the Great Elder had gone to do. Now that everyone who had left with him was dead, it meant the mission had failed.
"Patriarch, what should we do?" a refined middle-aged man asked. He was also one of the Zhang family's elders, though not as powerful as the Great Elder.
"Do we need to alert the Supreme Elder?" The death of the Great Elder was too significant an event, especially considering he had taken five Nascent Soul cultivators and quite a few Golden Core cultivators with him.
The annihilation of this group, while not enough to cripple the Zhang family, was a severe blow.
They represented the Zhang family's stronger combat force. How could their deaths not be reported to the Supreme Elder?
"There's no other way, how can such a major event not be reported?" The Patriarch, who was asked, had a grim expression. After all, he had made the decision, and he bore some responsibility for the consequences.
"Then who will go to see the Supreme Elder?" an elder asked, hesitant.
The Supreme Elder had a rather unpleasant temper, and the Great Elder was his most favored junior. Informing him of this news would likely result in the messenger enduring some hardship.
He asked this question undoubtedly out of reluctance to incur his wrath.
"Let Bo'er go," the Patriarch decided on the messenger.
Zhang Ning Bo was the Great Elder's son and a leading figure among the younger generation. Even if the Supreme Elder was angry, he wouldn't lay hands on him.
Furthermore, Zhang Ning Bo had just lost his father, his pillar of support. In any case, the Supreme Elder would only feel pity for him.
The Patriarch also had ulterior motives. He greatly valued Zhang Ning Bo and wanted to use this opportunity to make the Supreme Elder dote on this junior and become his new support.
"Bo'er is indeed the best choice, but it's a pity..."
What a pity, everyone in the room understood clearly.
Zhang Ning Bo was the most talented among the younger generation of the Zhang family, and the future pillar of the entire Zhang family. He was expected to succeed his father in the future.
All the Zhang family's resources were tilted towards him, and he enjoyed the complete favoritism of the entire family. However, all of this was contingent on his father being alive.
Now that his father was gone, although he was still the most talented among the younger generation, he was merely a Golden Core cultivator with no real influence within the clan.
At that point, this genius who had been so cherished would likely face some setbacks.
Besides sending Zhang Ning Bo to report to the Supreme Elder, they were also speculating about how the Great Elder had died.
The young master Zi Che from the central continent was merely at the Nascent Soul stage, and he had a Golden Core cultivator burden with him. How did he manage to kill the Great Elder and the others? Did he possess any weapons with great destructive power?
However, none of them had returned, so there was no way to know what had happened.
According to the disciple guarding the soul lamps, besides the Great Elder and a Nascent Soul guest elder, the other deaths occurred very close in time, suggesting a very powerful weapon was used. They didn't know if Zi Che Shao Hao still possessed such a weapon, so the Zhang family's high-ranking members were very hesitant.
If Zi Che Shao Hao still had such a weapon, wouldn't they be sending themselves to their deaths in vain?
Due to this situation, no one was willing to undertake the task. They could only wait for the Supreme Elder to emerge before deciding on their next course of action.
Once the Supreme Elder came out, even if he possessed such a weapon, he would be no match for the Supreme Elder. Moreover, they didn't intend to kill Zi Che Shao Hao; their sole objective had always been the remnants of the Tantai family.
Lin Yan hadn't expected that the "Cosmic" Seal, by freezing those people, causing them to die almost simultaneously, would make the Zhang family so cautious that they would not dare to easily dispatch more people to deal with Lin Yan and the others.
This rendered Lin Yan's plan to break down the Zhang family one by one impossible to implement before it even began.
Lin Yan and the others left the vicinity of the Endless Sea without a single Zhang family member appearing around them.
Upon returning to land, Lin Yan sent a message to her sect, informing Xu Lan that she was safe. Afterward, she and Zi Che Shao Hao continued their travels, deliberately high-profile. Those with well-informed connections became very aware of their itinerary.
Such high-profile behavior was uncharacteristic of Lin Yan, but with a young master from a prominent family by her side, the people from the Ling Xiao Sword Sect attributed it to Zi Che Shao Hao's personality and failed to notice anything amiss.
Thus, they traveled in high spirits for a long time, making the entire Southeast Region aware of how highly this young master Zi Che valued the Immortal Consort Wang Shu.
Especially after they saw the aloof and stunningly beautiful young master Zi Che, his face, which could be described as meticulously carved by the Creator, made it impossible for them to utter that the two were mismatched.
Zi Che Shao Hao's carriage was exceptionally luxurious, and the spirit beasts pulling it attracted much attention wherever they went.
Many people in the Southeast Region wished to approach young master Zi Che, so they would arrange to "accidentally" meet them on their travel route, hoping to strike up a conversation.
However, the young master Zi Che was extremely aloof and paid no attention to others.
"The Zhang family has been completely inactive. I wonder what they are hesitating about?" Lin Yan tapped the tabletop with her finger.
"Perhaps because they lost so many people last time, they are afraid to act rashly," Zi Che Shao Hao poured a cup of spiritual tea for Lin Yan.
The tea was fragrant, and its aroma invigorated the mind.
"I originally thought I could kill a few more," Lin Yan's voice held a trace of disappointment.
But it didn't matter. She was already preparing to head to Yuyang, and she would make those people pay the price they deserved.
"There will be opportunities. Yan Yan, do you know much about the Zhang family's situation?"
Lin Yan recounted the information she had gathered to Zi Che Shao Hao.
Upon learning that the Zhang family had a Supreme Elder in the Tribulation Stage, Zi Che Shao Hao's brow furrowed.
"Yan Yan, with our current strength, we are likely unable to contend with that Tribulation Stage Supreme Elder."
"I know that's why I never intended to go head-to-head. They aren't worth it," Lin Yan shook her head. "But how did you know about my feud with the Zhang family?"
Lin Yan asked Zi Che Shao Hao in return. In reality, she knew how Zi Che Shao Hao had learned about it. The Ling Xiao Sword Sect was her home, and how could her junior brothers and sisters not tell her if Zi Che Shao Hao had been inquiring about her there?
Thinking about the elders' instructions to her before they left, Lin Yan knew how satisfied they were with Zi Che Shao Hao now.
"I..." Zi Che Shao Hao wanted to explain, but he also knew that secretly inquiring like this would likely upset Lin Yan.
Further explanations were superfluous; a mistake was a mistake.
"It's alright, I'm not blaming you. But next time you want to know something, just ask me directly. There's no need to go to such lengths to gather information."
"Okay!" Zi Che Shao Hao revealed a clear smile, one that instantly melted like ice and snow, bringing forth the revival of all things!
The atmosphere in the Zhang family of Yuyang had been tense lately, especially after the Tribulation Stage ancestor emerged from seclusion. All the Zhang family members sensed that something was amiss.
After enduring tears and reporting his father's death to the Supreme Elder, Zhang Ning Bo was kept there.
The Supreme Elder, feeling pity for his orphaned state, kept him by his side to serve him. This was merely a pretext; he simply didn't want to see the leading figure of the younger generation of the Zhang family ruined.
Now, accompanying the Supreme Elder, although he no longer possessed the same arrogance and recklessness as before, few dared to underestimate him.
Zhang Ning Bo had a younger sister, who was the one who would become a member of the male protagonist Wan Si Rui's harem in the original novel.
Currently, this sister's cultivation had just entered the Golden Core stage. Both brother and sister had been highly talented individuals within the sect, and coupled with their father's formidable strength, they had always been objects of admiration.
In the original novel, the male protagonist Wan Si Rui and his sister Zhang An Su met through a misunderstanding. A romance developed between them, and later, his sister accompanied the male protagonist on his travels, eventually becoming a member of his harem.
And because of his sister, he began to favor the male protagonist, becoming his friend and even bringing him considerable benefits through his father's influence.
It was precisely for this reason that when Tantai Wang Shu wanted to deal with his sister Zhang An Su, Wan Si Rui prevented her.
A person who could no longer provide much help, versus the daughter of a great family elder, who could bring him many benefits. When faced with these two choices, everyone knew which one to pick.
The original host was thus directly abandoned, becoming the side that was not chosen.
Initially, it was because their strength was no match for the Zhang family. Later, it was because the original host had lost its significance in Wan Si Rui's balance.